1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air intake device having an intake duct, such as an engine air cleaner duct, for an automotive vehicle, and more particularly to an air intake device in which a sealing panel member is arranged to prevent fresh air containing particles of water, snow, dust or other similar particles from flowing into the intake duct.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known air intake device for inducting air into an intake duct of an engine air cleaner includes an upper shroud member that is arranged to interconnect front ends of a pair of wheel apron reinforcements. The reinforcements extend in the direction of the vehicle length and form the side portions of an engine compartment. A radiator of an engine is disposed below the upper shroud member. An intake port of an air cleaner duct is positioned near an upper portion of the upper shroud member. A sealing panel member is attached to the upper shroud member so as to cover over a space in front of the radiator. Part of the fresh air passing through a fresh air inlet formed at the portion of a front grille or bumper of the vehicle flows along an under surface of the sealing panel member toward both of the side ends thereof. Then this fresh air goes round the both side ends and flows up to an upper surface of the sealing panel. This air is then conducted to the intake port of the air cleaner duct through a passage formed by the upper surface of the sealing panel member and an under surface of an engine hood.
In cases where the foregoing sealing panel member is not provided, a part of fresh air flowing through the fresh air inlet into a space between the front grille or bumper of the vehicle and the radiator will go into the intake port of the air cleaner directly without the stream direction changing greatly. This stream of fresh air tends to contain lots of particles of water, snow, dust or other similar particles which lower the function of the engine air cleaner. This is because, depending on the driving conditions, the fresh air to be taken in contains these kinds of particles. These particles can be effectively eliminated from entering the air cleaner by bending the stream of the air greatly.
The foregoing sealing panel member takes the fresh air in the intake port and changes its direction by an angle of 90 degrees or more. Therefore, many particles contained in the air run against the surfaces of the sealing panel member and engine hood, and are trapped there.
In general, the sealing panel member consists of one panel extending to a large extent in front of the upper shroud member. Accordingly, most parts of the fresh air to be conducted into the intake duct comes along the upper surface of the sealing panel member after going around both of the outer ends of the sealing panel member. This bent stream of air increases its flow resistance and causes a problem that the amount of the air taken into the engine air cleaner is reduced and restricted.